Emergency services dealt with a series of incidents in a short period of time on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. Cobourg Fire Department were dispatched to the area south of CP railway by the Division Street underpass for a grass fire.
It believed a passing train started a number of small fires in the area that were quickly extinguished.
At that time, firefighters noticed smoke coming from an area where a homeless encampment was situated between CP and CN rail lines.
Upon checking out the area firefighters discovered a fire at the encampment area where a number of items had been burning including clothes.
That fire was also extinguished, but a short distance away from the fire a steak knife, wrapped in bungee cord to a pole was discovered.
A short distance away wire/string was set-up as trip wire in the area.
While emergency services putting their equipment away at the scene, they were approached by a person who lives in the area.
The person stated he saw remnants of how fires next to a building just south of the CP tracks on the west side of Division Street.
When the person showed emergency services the area of the fire, they found a unconscious person with one needle near his arm and another nearby.
The person was awakened by police and stated that he did not require paramedics or medical attention and was sent on his way.
The man was sitting next to an area there was obvious signs of a fire that had been burning next to the building.